Ceiling suspension system with tilepenetrating resilient clip



Jan. 21, 1969 GWYNNE 3,422,590

CEILING SUSPENSION SYSTEM WITH TILE-PENETRAIING RESILIENT CLIP Filed March 24, 1967 Sheet I of 2 PE/OE 14/? T lNl/ENZ'OR THOMAS GWY/VNE Br PE/VDLETO/V, A/EUMA/V SE/BOLD a W/LL/AMS ATTQRNFYS Jan. 21, 1969 T. GWYNNE 3,422,590

CEILING SUSPENSION SYSTEM WITH TILE-PENETRATING RESILIENT CLIP Filed March 24, 1967 Sheet 2- of 2 .INVE/VTOR THOMAS 6 W Y/V/VE' BY PEA/DLEm/V,NEUMAN SE/BOLD 8 WILLIAMS A TTOR/VEYS United States Patent Office 3,422,590 Patented Jan. 21, 1969 3,422,590 CEILING SUSPENSION SYSTEM WITH TILE- PENETRATING RESILIENT CLIP Thomas Gwynne, Loughborough, England, assignor to BPB Industries, Limited, London, England Filed Mar. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 625,654 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 30, 1966,

14,163/ 66 US. Cl. 52-496 3 Claims Int. Cl. E042 13/08; E04c 2/38 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ceiling tiles or panels, supported by suspension members having horizontal flanges, are mounted or, more especially, damaged tiles are replaced, by attaching to such tile or panel clips having resilient portions which are displaced by the flanges when the new tile is offered up into position and which spring back to retain the tile when the latter is pressed fully into place.

The present invention relates to ceiling suspension systems, and more especially it is concerned with the replacement of tiles or panels forming part of non-accessible concealed suspension systems.

In non-accessible concealed suspension systems the constituent tiles or panels are commonly suspended from spaced, parallel, supporting members which cross the area to be covered and have flanges which engage grooves or recesses in the tiles or panels themselves or in clips attached to the tiles or panels but invisible from below. In erecting such a ceiling it is usual for the tiles or panels, or clips attached thereto, to be engaged with the flanges on the supporting members and then slid along the members until they abut against the previously mounted and positioned tiles or panels. When such a ceiling is completed, the attachment of the tiles or panels is not accessible from below, and problems arise if individual tiles or panels have to be replaced, for example as a result of damage.

In the past it has been the usual practice to insert new tiles or panels either by trimming them where necessary to fit into the place available and then either screwing them to wooden battens specially attached to the suspension members, for the purpose, or securing them directly to the suspension members, which are usually of metal, by drilling the members and using self-tapping screws. Either technique is time-consuming and requires some degree of skill. Moreover, if damage is extensive it may be necessary to start at the perimeter of the ceiling and remove a considerable area of the ceiling to effect the repair.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a technique and means for the speedy replacement of one or more individual tiles or panels in a suspended ceiling, although it will be evident that the same technique could be used to suspend an entire new ceiling if circumstances made this desirable.

According to the present invention a tile or panel is mounted on spaced suspension members having horizontally extending flanges by securing to the tile or panel at positions corresponding to the location of the suspension members clips provided with resilient elements which engage and are displaced by the flanges of the suspension members when the tile or panel is offered up and spring back to their undisplaced position and rest upon the flanges when the tile or panel is pressed fully into place.

The preferred form of clip has one or more pins or prongs which can be inserted into the body of the tile or panel to attach the clip thereto and a resilient portion having a chamfered contour on that edge which first meets the flange of a suspension member and an opposite edge shaped to be retained by such a flange when the clip is pressed into place. One preferred shape for the resilient portion has the approximate outline of a crescent or minor segment of a circle, the surface of which is curved or bent so that the points are available as retaining elements. The convex surface provides the chamfering necessary for easing the insertion of the clip while the straighter surface resists displacement from the flanges of the suspension member, once in position.

The invention is especially useful for use with mineral wool or fibreboard tiles or panels and other tiles or panels made of a soft material into which pins or prongs can be readily inserted. If narrow pins are employed, the invention can be applied to plasterboard tiles, but the wider prongs prefer-red for soft materials are not suitable for plasterboard, owing to the risk of fracture of the board.

One embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are included by way of example only. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one known form of suspended ceiling, with portions cut away;

FIG. 2 shows the preparation of a tile for fitting to such a ceiling according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows the prepared tile with the clips in place;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of a portion of the ceiling with the tile of FIG. 3 in place; and

FIG. 5 shows a clip conforming to the requirements of the invention.

In the ceiling system illustrated by FIG. 1, the spacing between main suspension sections 10 having horizontal lower flanges 11 is crossed by intermediate sections 12 having flanges 13 and resting on the flanges of the main sections 10. The tiles 14, which make up the infilling of the ceiling, are kerfed by grooves 15 cut into all four edges (cf. also FIG. 2), and the ceiling is assembled by engaging two opposite grooves on a tile with the flanges 11 of two adjacent main sections and sliding the engaged tile along the sections until it lies against a previously erected tile, the groove in the leading edge engaging the flange 13 on an intermediate section placed in position before the tile is slid into place.

When such a ceiling is completed, it is impossible for an individual tile to be removed without damage, as it is supported by its kerfed edges in engagement with the flanges 11 and 13. Conversely, it is impossible for a new tile to be inserted into a vacant space without cutting back the edges at the reverse face of the tile to the depth of the groove 15, preferably along three edges of the tile, as shown in FIG. 2.

In putting the invention into practice, as shown in FIG. 3, clips 16 having pointed prongs 17 and a resilient portion 18 are attached to the tile by pressing the prongs 1nto opposite cut-back edges, whereafter the tile is offered into the vacant space to be filled, engaging the one surviving groove 15 (FIG. 3) with one of the flanges, say, the flange 13, and pressing the tile up until the resilient portions 18 of the two cli-ps engage the flanges 11. The position of the tile and clips when fully pressed home is shown FIG. 4.

The preferred form of clip, shown in FIG. 5, consists of a strip 18 of spring steel, the upper edge of which is curved down at the two ends 19 and 20 to give a shape approximately generally to that of a crescent or minor segment of a circle. The ends 19 and 20 are curved out of the general plane of the central region of the strip so that they project somewhat on one side of the clip, where they can engage the flanges of suspended members. Two wide prongs 17 project from the other side of the clip, and are formed from the same strip of steel by cutting and bending. The lower edge of the strip 18 is substantially straight, but exhibits a small step at the outer edges of the pair of prongs 17 and from there to the respective tips of the ends 19 and 20 is inclined very slightly upwards. This form of lower edge is readily retained by the flanges.

The shape of the prongs 17 shown in FIG. is especially suitable for use with tiles of soft material, since they can be readily inserted into such material and their considerable width affords better support for the tile.

What I claim is:

1. A unitary clip adapted for use in suspending ceiling tile on suspension members having generally horizontally extending flanges comprising a prong section for penetrating an edge portion of such tile generally parallel to the major surfaces thereof, and a resilient body section extending from one end of said prong section and disposed generally normal thereto to extend generally parallel to an edge surface of a tile engaged by such prong section, said body section comprising a strip of resilient sheet material having opposite end portions each forming a resilient latch tab extending outwardly at an acute angle to the general plane of the remainder of said body section On the side thereof opposite said prong section for resilient bending movement toward and away from such edge surface in a direction generally parallel to such major surfaces, said strip of sheet material having an upper edge which is inclined downwardly at each of said end portions, whereby such tabs may be resiliently displaced toward such edge surface when said body section is urged upward adjacent such a flange, and each of said tabs having a lower edge adapted to seat on such a flange upon subsequent outward movement of the tabs.

2. An assembly for use in a ceiling structure including suspension members having generally horizontally extending flanges comprising a panel having a cut-back edge adjacent one face, and a unitary clip attached to said panel, said clip including a resilient body section disposed adjacent the cut-back edge surface of said panel and a prong section disposed generally normal to said body section and penetrating the body of said panel, said body section comprising a strip of resilient sheet material having opposite end portions each forming a resilient latch tab extending outwardly from such edge surface at an acute angle to the general plane of the remainder of said body section for resilient bending movement toward and away from such edge surface in a direction generally parallel to the major surfaces of said panel, said strip of sheet material having an upper edge which is inclined downwardly at each of said end portions, whereby such tabs may be resiliently displaced toward such edge surface 'when said panel is urged upward with said body section adjacent such a flange, and each of said tabs having a lower edge adapted to seat on such a flange upon subsequent outward movement of the tabs.

3. A ceiling structure comprising a plurality of spaced suspension members having horizontal flange means, at least one ceiling panel, at least one unitary clip attached to said panel along an edge surface thereof at a position corresponding to the location of one of said flange means, said clip including a prong section penetrating the body of said panel adjacent said edge surface, and a resilient body section extending from the outer end of said prong section and disposed generally normal thereto and adjacent said edge surface, said body section including a pair of oppositely extending resiliently displaceable tab portions each disposed to extend outwardly from such edge surface at an acute angle to the general plane of the remainder of said body section for resilient horizontal bending movement toward and away from said edge surface in a direction generally parallel to the major surfaces of said panel, each of said tab portions having a downwardly inclined upper edge, whereby such tab portions may be resiliently displaced toward said edge surface for movement past said flange means when said panel is urged upward with said body section adjacent said flange means, and each of said tab portions having a lower edge seated on said flange means for retention of said panel in said structure, upon subsequent outward movement of said tab portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 741,100 10/1903 Blackinan 52-512 1,937,186 11/1933 Barrett 52502 1,997,595 4/1935 Nold et al 52-484 2,229,064 1/1941 Finch 52 484 3,184,017 5/1965 Gravenor 52-511 X 3,312,030 4/ 1967 Gillespie.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

